Hundreds of Magellanic penguins that washed ashore in Argentina after an oil spill have been saved by a group of “Commando” veterinarians. They are volunteers, part of a worldwide network called the IFAW Emergency Relief Team, who “rely on rapid-deployment, know-how and dish soap.” Arriving at the scene, they immediately built a field hospital to remove the deadly oil and for housing the birds during weeks of recovery.
The International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) discovered that Dawn dish soap excels at removing oil from feathers. The detergent is now a staple in rescue efforts and the manufacturer Proctor and Gamble has donated truckloads of the stuff.
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The Magellanic penguin, discovered by Ferdinand Magellan on one of his explorations, is near threatened because of the oil pollution off the coast of Argentina, which kills more than 20,000 adults and 22,000 juveniles every year, according to Wikipedia. (National Geographic)